ART218 Digital Imaging

Much like photography 150 years ago, digital imaging has evolved from being considered something less than an art form, to being accepted alongside other, more traditional media. Defining digital imaging is somewhat more problematic, since digital tools can be used in quite a variety of ways, at various stages in producing an artwork, and in combination with many traditional media.

Of particular interest is how digital imaging relates to photography. This is the area that digital imaging was developed in the first place— to incorporate photographic images in a digital design workflow. Digital photographs are becoming pretty commonplace, with digital point-and-shoot cameras pretty much replacing the family Kodak©, and inkjet printers a dime a dozen. The use of digital photography (in some form) in graphic design has become standard practice.

But what defines a ‘digital’ image in terms of art? Is it employing digital means of capture or recording of the image? Is it the digital manipulation of an image? Or is it the digital output of an image? An example: I take a 35mm black-and-white negative, scan it, enalrge it, print it on an inkjet printer, and then draw on the print. The workflow goes from analog to digital back to analog, and the permutations are many.

This course is intended to be an overview and introduction to the above issues, looking at both the technical and aesthetic issues presented by digital methods of creating artwork.

This site is divided into three general areas: create, capture, and output. Create deals with the creation and manipulation of images using digital means. Capture deals with the acquisition of images using digital means (scanning and digital cameras), and the final category, output, deals with printing issues. An additional area is set aside for course stuff.

Lab Stuff

Because the lab is not your living room, certain procedures must be followed. These are outlined here and on the syllabus. Details on scanning and file transfer are available here.

  1. Clean up after yourself. Don’t leave stuff laying around.
  2. Keep your fingers off the displays. Do you grub up your TV?
  3. You are responsible for backing up your files. Although the computers rarely, if ever, crash, it is possible.
  4. Turn cell phones OFF during class time. If there is an emergency situation, let me know.
  5. Class time is for class. Not for surfing the web, instant messaging, or reading your e-mail. Do that stuff on your own time.
  6. Do not leave the door open during off hours. You have a door code.
  7. Print what you need. This does not include entire web sites. The course information on this site is here so you can read it in the browser, not to print everything out. Printing costs money, and you are paying for it.
  8. When in doubt, ASK!